St Patrick's Festival invites 8,000 Irish diaspora from around the world to attend Ireland’s parade

Join in with the celebrations on St Patrick's Day in Dublin
Photo by: Google images

In celebration of all things Irish; people, culture, heritage and history, ‘The Gathering Ireland 2013’ and St. Patrick’s Festival are inviting 8,000 people from across the world to march on St. Patrick’s Day next March 17th.

The People’s Parade encourages Irish people to throw open their arms and invite anyone who feels a connection to Ireland to come visit and participate in the country’s most celebrated and iconic national event!

Participants in The People’s Parade will be cheered on by hundreds of thousands of spectators who line the streets of Dublin every year in celebration of our national holiday. Watched by millions more around the world, the 2.5km parade route passes by some of Ireland’s most historic landmarks including the GPO, Trinity College and Dublin Castle.

Call on your family and friends abroad to apply for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Participants in The People’s Parade will create lifelong memories and lasting friendships while journeying through Dublin’s magical streets.

Jim Miley, Project Director of the Gathering Ireland 2013 stated: “The People’s Parade is a wonderful example of what the Gathering Ireland 2013 is all about: inviting our friends, families and connections from overseas to celebrate with us. It will show how powerful a Gathering can be: it can be as simple as two friends, one of them from overseas, reuniting in Ireland next year. Or it can be as big as 8,000 people marching in the People’s Parade. We would encourage people here in Ireland to tell their overseas friends and family about this wonderful opportunity and to build their own gathering around it.”

Research indicates that the St. Patrick’s Festival adds €43.7 million to the economy in spending by tourists and this figure rises to over €50 million when Dubliners were included; making it one of Ireland’s the most important annual events from an economic perspective.

For full details on The People’s Parade and on how to apply to participate please visit www.stpatricksfestival.ie. Places in the People’s Parade are awarded on a first come first served basis. St. Patrick’s Festival 2013 takes place from Thursday 14th to Monday 18th March, we hope to see you there!

The Gathering Ireland 2013 will see the people of Ireland reaching out to our many millions of friends, family, loved ones and connections overseas, inviting them to Ireland next year to celebrate with us. It promises to be an iconic and memorable year, one which will leave a lasting legacy of great economic and spiritual significance: a year Ireland can be proud of for years to come.

There are so many ways to get involved; whether it is organising family or clan gatherings; school or work reunions; sports competitions; community celebrations or business events.

Around the country, communities are putting in place plans for Gatherings: events, festivals and initiatives which capitalise on local charms and which will entice overseas contacts to visit throughout 2013. For information on The Gathering Ireland 2013 please visit www.thegatheringireland.com